Rain ensured Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings shared the spoils in their IPL 2026 encounter at Eden Gardens on Monday, with the match ultimately abandoned after the weather disrupted play. KKR were already reeling at 25 for 2 in just 3.4 overs when Finn Allen and Cameron Green both fell, leaving the hosts in trouble before rain forced a halt at around 7:50 pm. With the game never getting back underway, the contest was officially called off at 11 pm, handing both franchises a point apiece. For KKR, it was their opening point of the campaign.
After the result was confirmed, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer’s sister, Shresta Iyer, a professional dancer and choreographer, shared a light-hearted and cheeky post online. In the video, she said: “Saade Punjabiyan da dil vadda hunda ae. Lo, ditta ek point. (We Punjabis are big-hearted. So, we gave you a point).”
Earlier in the evening, the initial spell of rain hit Eden Gardens while KKR were struggling at 25 for 2 in 3.4 overs. Even though the delay stretched and the cut-off window was pushed to 11.14 pm, the match proceedings never restarted. Punjab Kings also benefited from the abandoned game, collecting a point and moving to the top of the table temporarily with five points from three matches. Meanwhile, Kolkata still sit on one point from three outings, and Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings are yet to open their account.
There was also a familiar twist to the fixture, as the KKR vs PBKS meeting in Kolkata during IPL 2025 had likewise been washed out because of rain. Looking ahead, KKR have another home match coming up on Thursday against Lucknow Super Giants, but rain has been forecast for that day as well.
Returning to Monday’s match itself, rain and strong winds began battering the venue from about 9 pm, with conditions gradually escalating into a thunderstorm. The gale force was so severe that the distinctive “hanging” Eden press box—supported by iron beams—shook under the impact of the weather, giving the unsettling impression of an earthquake. Drizzle eased off around 10:30 pm, allowing the ground staff to remove the covers.
When the covers came away, the pitch and outfield looked largely unaffected, with no major seepage reported. Still, a few puddles had formed close to the boundary ropes due to water runoff after the covers were peeled off. An inspection then followed, with on-field umpires Abhijeet Bengeri and J. Madanagopal checking conditions.
Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly also assessed the ground firmness, and after extended discussions with KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer, the match was finally called off at 11 pm.
For KKR, there was an added layer to the disappointment as they were missing both of their frontline spin options—Sunil Narine was unwell and Varun Chakravarthy was sidelined with an injury. In such circumstances, KKR’s decision to bat first appeared to go badly almost immediately.
Punjab Kings’ Australian fast bowler Xavier Bartlett delivered a sharp breakthrough in a fiery second over, taking two wickets in three balls and removing both star overseas batters—Finn Allen, who made 6, and Cameron Green, who scored 4. Arshdeep Singh had set the tone early in the opening over, and Allen looked hesitant against the left-arm seamer, edging and missing more than once. Bartlett then finished the job in the next over with a quality spell of swing and seam.
Allen survived a couple of near-misses, including being beaten on the edge and almost undone by a yorker that he somehow dug out for four. However, his luck ran out soon after. Trying an inside-out drive against a length ball outside off, he could only manage a faint nick that resulted in his dismissal.
Green, promoted to number three ahead of Angkrish Raghuvanshi, had been struggling as well. The highest-paid overseas player at Rs 25.20 crore, he was already carrying recent woes with scores of 18 against Mumbai Indians and 2 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Bartlett struck again using a similar back-of-a-length delivery in the channel, swinging the ball and provoking another loose contact.
With Bartlett continuing to apply pressure and KKR firmly under the cosh, Rahane and Raghuvanshi began rebuilding. But steady drizzle then brought the evening to a stop at 7:45 pm, before any further progress could be made.
Because Eden Gardens had full ground covers in place, the staff moved quickly to cover the entire surface. There was a brief window of relief as the covers started to come off, but rain returned, leaving spectators frustrated as many began to head out of the stadium.
The disruption was witnessed by Bollywood superstar and KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, who made his first appearance of the season at the venue, only to see another rain-hit match. The fixture also saw a relatively limited turnout, with 29,358 spectators in attendance.
